Voting-machine.



No. 820,802. PATENTED MAY l5, 1906.

W.A J. LAUSTBRER. VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1904.

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2 if@ i L ll/T/VESSES f W I LNI/15A'y 7U A) a? @fk No. 820,802. PATENTED MAY l5, 1906.

W. J. LAUSTBRBR.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 9, 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@vih/mono PATENTBD MAY 15, 1906. WJ. LAUSTBRER.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV= 9, 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET s.

dllr Hf! //E/VTOR HY fa j 1 I l ATTORNEY. l

W. J. LAUSTERER.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED Nov.9,19o4.

PATENTED MAY l5, 1906 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WM5@h /L'w ATTORNEY.

No. 820,802. PATBNTED MAY l5, 1906.

W. J. LAUSTERER.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 9, 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

3a' il l a o JZ o l i J5 1D /Nl/ENTOA UNITED sTArEs PAENT OFEiOn WILLIAM J. LAUsTERER, or JAMEs'rOWnNEW YORK, AssieNoR To U. s. j

STANDARD VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Vonne-MACHINE. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906,

Application filed November 9, 1904:. Serial No. 231,978.

T blt whom, it muy concerner Be it known that LWILLIAM J. LAUSTERER,

vof Jamestown, in the county oi Chautauqua type shown in Letters Patent No. 647,657' to A. J. Gillespie, inwhich the Vballot-indicators are-moved to voted position by the voter and the registers operated and themachine reset by means of a handle or operating part which also governs the barrier orV curtain controlling access tothe front of the machine.

The improvement formingv the subjectmatter. of this application has for its object particularly to improve the means Jfor controlling the operating and indicating mech-- -anisms of the machine and maintaining the proper relations between Vthese parts, whereby thevoter may correctly indicate his choice of candidates, but is prevented from injuring the machine by improper operation ofA the parts, and also to provide means Jfor releasing the partstopermit the operation eith'er by:

the actuation of the devices for indicating a straight ticket or by the operation of a sepa-- rate releasing device operable by the voter While within the inclosure.

rihe inventionV has for its further object to provide eiiicient locking mechanism for the indicator-resetting devices, whereby improper operation is prevented, and, further, consistsin certain improvements and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, the novel features being pointed out in Ithe speciiication, In. the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation 'of a portion of a voting-inachine to which my improvements are applied.' f

Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same portion shown in Fig. l, with ythe registers removed, the end, top. and bottom of the casing being shown in section. Fig'. 2? is a detail view. Fig.. 3 is a rear elevation, on a smaller scale, showing the indicator-resetting 'mechanism Vand connected parts. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the operating mechanism ifor the straight-ticket 'universal bar and the resetting-bar. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the operating-lever and its operating mechanism.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are detail views ofthe,

latch mechanism for preventing a second op.-

eration of the straight-ticket mechanism.

Fig. 1.() is a perspective view oithe locking and releasing mechanism for the'resettig device. j Fig. ,11 is .a perspective view o,

lbpcking device at the left end of the resettingfigures indicate's'imilar parts'.

upon which are arran e the labels or tickets 2 containing the can idatesv names, 3A indicating the front or operating portion of the ballot keys or indicators adapted to coperate with the names, and 4 the straight-ticket keys or devices for'indicating votes for all the candidates of a particular party, one of such keys being provided for each horizontal row platel with arms 5, to which are connected tending tothe interlocking channel 7 at the ing a so arranged to cooperate with the straig t-ticket bars 8, supported atopposite ends upon links 9, to one -of whie the straight-ticket operating-key is connected. The ends of the straight-ticket bars are preferably beveled and are adapted to co erate with rollers or projections 10, arrange u on what I term a universal7 baril, guide to movevertically u on the front late 1,which is provided for this purpose wit headed rojections 12 operating in slots v13 in saidV ar.' The upper end of this bar 11 is oset and cooperates With a sliding plate or bar 14 normally resting thereon and' guided to move verticallyon the frame by thestudsl operating i'n slots 16 therein. Sprin s 150 in rear of the bar or plate 1li-and encirc ing the stud afford suticient friction to maintain said vplate in' raised nositionand prevent its Vaccidental movement .to lowermost position, but do not inte'rere Vmaterially with its fpositive l downwindl -inov'ementas hei-eine ter described This slidjngbarleis providedy at Similar reference-numerals in the 'several 1 indicates the front llate of the machine,"

of candidates. names. The candidate-indi-4 cators 3 are provided at the rear side of the' the usual interlocking rods or straps ex` the f lower ortion of themachine, said arms 5 beroo , its outer side with a shoulder 17, adapted to `frame, t e inner end ofsaid lever having a .handle 24. The plate 22 is. also .locking-pin thereon adapted to coperate with a socket or recess 217 formed in a pivoted segmental plate 22, to which latter is connected the operating -lever 23, which moves the curtain or barrier, permiting access to the front of the machine, and having a rovided 'with an aperture A25, with which is a apted to coperate a pin 26 on the end of 'a lockinglever 27, also pivoted at 19, extending parallel with the lever 15 and having its lower end -connected toa rod 28, provided with an opervating-handle v29 on the exterior of the casing of the machine. The apertures 21 and 25 in the plate 22 \are arranged at different distances from the center of motion, so. that whenthe plate is in position shown in Fig. 10,

- it will be engaged by the lever 27, and the lemaybe operated by gravity, if desired, but i ver 18 will be held o ut of engagement, its-pin 20 engaging the solid portion of the plate 22; but when lmoved to the opposite position, with the curtain covering they iront of the machine and theiparts ready for operation by the voter, said plate 22 will be locked by the engagement of the pin 20 on the lever 18. The levers 18 and 27 may be moved to engagl ing position by the weight of their outer ends;

but I prefer to employ springs 118 for insuring'their engagement, as shown in Fig. 10.

3() indicates a latch pivoted at `31 to the iront plate of the machine, having a projection 32 atit-s lower end beveled on the upper side, yas at 33,and ada ted when the plate 14 is raised, independent y'of the universal bar l1, to drop into place above said bar 11 and lock the latter from movement. This latch prefer 'to insure its action by means of a vsplring 34. (Shown in Figs. 7 and 8.) When t e plate 14 is moved downward, its lowerend engaging the beveled portion 33' of the lug 32 will force the "latch outward to the position .shown in -Fig.=6, thereby bringing said plate 14 into contact with the universal bar 11. The plate 14 is further provided with a latch 35, resting upon the projection to which the spring 34 is connected'when in normal positlon, as in Fig. 6, but adapted when said plate 14 is raised to project into the path of a in 36, -connected yto' the vertically-movable ar 37, which latter when moved downwardly to reset the machine serves to restore said plate 14 and the universal bar 1 1 to normal position, but said latch permits the free upward movement of s aid bar 37.

The universal bar 11 is ada ted to be moved vertically independent y f o the straightticket-bars by means of an arm 40, pivoted at 41 in the -front plate of the machine and having at ythe front an operating-handle 42, (see Figs. 1 and.4,) so 'that the voter may,vl

by operating the handle, raise the universal bar and unlock themachine.

43 indicates the resetting or restoring bar, coperating, as usual, with the interlocking straps 3 and serving by its downward movement to restore the indicators to normal unvoted position. This bar is operated downwardly by means of compression-.links 44, arranged between it and levers 45, pivoted at their inner ends to the casing and connected .at their outer ends with vertically-moving bars 46, which are in turn connected to levers 47, actuated through rods 48 from the operating-lever 23, the construction bein such that when the operating-lever is I nove to the right (of Fig. 1) exposing the front of the machine,'the rods 46 are moved downward, resetting the mechanism, and, as usual in this type of machine, causing a relative movement between the indicators and registers, thereby4 operating those registers whose indicators are left in voted position'. The resetting-bar 43 is locked in its lowermost positionby two locking devices, one released by the levers which actuate the bar and the other independently thereof. The first-mentioned locking device consists of automatically-engaging catches in the form of links 50, pivoted at their lower ends to said resetting-bar and rovided at their upper ends with angular s ots 51, in which are arranged stationary pins 52, the said-linksbeing extendedat an angle to the horizontal, whereby'when the bar is moved downward the links will tip outwardly and the upper horizontal portions of theslots will engage with the ins and prevent its upward movement untilthe links are tilted on their pivots to bringthe vertical portions of the slots in line with the pins. This releasing movement is accomplished by means of the pins 53 on the levers 45, which enga e with the lower sides of the links after said evers have been moved upward a predetermined distance, thereby preventin the remature release of the indicators whic are eld by the resetting-bar. This resettingbar 43 is also locked by a securing device controlled by the movement of the universal bar 11, said bar 43 being provided for the purpose near its ends with notches 56, with one of which is adapted to coperate a projection or pin 57 at the end of a lever 58, said lever being connected by a rod or bar'59 with the lower end of a lever 60, pivoted to the frame at 61 .and having a projection 157 corresponding with the pin 57 and adapted to cooperate with the tcp of the barand with the recess 5 6 at the right-hand end looking from' the rear. levers 58 and 60 to the ri ht, so that when the projections are above t e bar 43 the will be out of line withthe slots 56 and wil hold .the said ha;l locked. The lower end of the lever 60 is offset 'and inclined, as shown in Fig. 4, and is adapted to be engaged by a pro- Aspring 161 operates to move the je'ction 62 on the lower end of the universal bar 11, so that when said universal bar is raised by the operation of the straight-ticket key or by the operating-handle 42 the levers 60 and 58 will first be moved to bring the proi ections 57 and 157 in line with the slots 56,

thereby releasing the resetting-bar. By the employment of the two holdin devices for 'the resettingbar the latter is he d locked unv understood. When the o erating-lever 28 is in the position shown in ig. 1, the front of ythe machine is not covered by the curtain and the parts are locked, as shown invFig. 2;

,but when the lever 23 is moved to the opposite position, the Avoter being inclosed by the curtain, whichv also covers the front ofthe machine, v the partsl are then ready for operation by'theyoter, the links-50 on the resettingbarv being vsustained by the pins 53 onthe levers and the downwardly-extending portions of the slots being in line with the i ,ro- 'ections 52, although the resettin -bar is field the projections 57 and 157, w 'ch are o ut o line with the slots-56 in the bar 43. When, however, the voter operates" a-'straight-ticket key, tl1e universalbar 1 1 is raised and through the bar or plate 14th@ lever 18 is also actu-- ated, releasing thepin 25 from the sector on the operating-lever and causing the pin 62 on the lower en of the bar 1.4 to tilt the leverO and disengage the projections 57 and 157 from the resetting-bar 43,- which is then free to be moved upwardly by any of the interlocking rods, but is preferably assisted in its upward movement and operated free of said rods by means of springs arranged in guides 70 and operating upon the lower .ends of rods 71, connected to the ends of said bar 43. One of the. objects of release-handle 42 is to enable persons Who are opposed to indicating a straight ticket for .an machine operative an a so to enable the machines to be used in those States in which the indication of a straight ticket is not permitthe candidates names; but the operating-leted. The'device is also useful in case the voter fails to -move a. straight-ticket indicator fully to voted osition, in which event the indicators Woul project partially over ver would not be released; but upon receiving instructions from the inspector to o eratethejrelease-handle the machine woul be unlocked allowing the votertodepart witharty to render the out requiring the presence behind the curtain of the inspector or any other person. After the'voter has raised the universal bar 11 once,

either by the handle 42 or a straight-ticket key,`and it has returned to normal lowermost position, he cannot raise it again-as, for instance, in attempting to indicate a straightticket vote after he has voted a split-because the bar or plate 14 above said universal bar is retained by friction in its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 8, permitting the atch 30 to fall over thetop of the said universal bar, locking it from movement until the latch has been'v released by the downward movement of the plate 14, which is only caused by the latch 35 and projection 36, as before described. The provision of a means for preventing a second operation of a straightticket key is desirable, as it prevents undue strain on the interlocking devices if, after moving one indicator to voted position, an attempt should be made to actuate a series, and while this broad feature is not of my invention the means shown is found in practice to be eficient for the purpose. After the voter has arranged. his ballot to his satisfaction he moves the operating handle or lever 23 to the left, Fig.- 1, causing the registration of the indicated ballots, and the downward movement of the resetting-bar restoring'the indicators to normal position and holding them locked While the front of the machine is uncovered, the .parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the operating-lever being held for one movement bythe locking-lever 27, the pin upon it engaging with the aperture 21 of the segment. The machine remains locked until ready for the next voter, the inspector then raising the knob 29, connected to lever 27, which unlocks the operating-lever 23, so that the next voter may move it to the right, again covering the front of the machine, releasing the catches or links 50, and leaving the resetting-bar locked only by the catches controlled by the universal bar, so that when he releases the latter in the manner previously fdescribed he may indicate his ballots as beore.

1 claim as my invention- 1,. 1n a voting-machine, thecombination with individual candidate indicators, straight-ticket indicators for operating a l lurality of the former, means for lockingthe indicators adapted to be released by the op-A Veration of a straight-ticket indicator, and a barrier, of means within the barrier and operable by the voter independently of the operation. of any of the individual-candidate or of the straight-ticket indicators for releasing the locking device.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination with candidate-ballot indicators and straightticket indicators for 'operating a plurality of the former, of means for locking the indicators from operation adapted to be released by IOC IIO

lthe operation of a straight-ticket indicator and a se arate device operable b the voter independently of any of the candi ate-indicators for releasing said indicator-locking 5 means. y

3. In a voting-machine, the combination with candidate-ballot indicators and straightticket indicators for operating a plurality of the former, of means for lookin the indica-l tors-from operation, a universal ar or member adapted to be actuated by any of the straight-ticket indicators and serving by its movement to release the locking means and an operating means independent of any of the candidate-indicatorsor of the straightticket indicators and operable by the voter to actuate said member and release all the indi-` cators,

vvfl. In a voting-machine, the combination withcandidate-ballot indicators and straightticket indicators for operating a plurality of the former, of means for locking the indicators from operation adapted to be released by the operation of a straight-ticket indicator, and a separate indieator-releasing-devie operable by the voter from the front/oll the machine and independently of any of the candidate and straight-ticket indicators for releasing the indicators. 3o 5; In a voting-machine, the combination with candidate-ballot indicators and straightticket indicators for operating a plurality of the former, a bar cooperating with all the indicators, a lock for retaining said bar, a universal bar separate from the lock and operable by any of the straight-ticket indicators, and means operable by the voter independently of the straight-ticket indicators for actuating the universal bar.

v6. In a voting-machine, the combination with the ballot-indicators, and straightticket indicators for operating a plurality of the former, of a universal bar with which the straight-ticket indicators cooperate, a bar cooperating with the indicators, a separate lock for said bar with which the universal bar cooperates to release the irst-mentioned bar and means operable by the voter independently of any of the straight-ticket indicators for moving the universal bar.

7. In a voting-machine, the combination with a plurality of ballot-indicators, straightticket members for operating a plurality of the former, the bar cooperating with the indicators, and a lock for detaining it, of the longitudinally-movable universal bar cooperating with the lock to release it, a latch for retaining the universal bar, a movable member operating when in one position to hold 6o the latch out of engagement with the universal bar and adapted to be moved by said bar to permit the engagement of the latch therewith to prevent a second movement.

8. In a voting-machine, the combination with the longitudinally-movable universal bar, the latch cooperating therewith to loci(l it, of a member operated bythe bar in one direction only and cooperating with the latch to prevent its engagement with the bar when said member'is moved by the latter.

9. In a voting-machine, the combination with the longitudinally-movable universal bar, the latch for cooperating therewith to lock it, of a member operated bythe bar in one direction only and cooperating with the latch to prevent its engagement with the bar when sald member is moved by '-,the latter, said member also cooperating with the latch to release the bar when separately operated and means for operating the member independently of the bar.

10. In a voting-machine, the combination with the straight-ticket bars, the longitudinally-movable universal bar cooperating therewith and a latch adapted to cooperate with the bar to lock it from movement in one direction and having the inclined surface, of the member engaging the universal bar and operable in one direction only by the latter and adapted to engage the inclined surface of the latch to release it from the bar-when operated in the other'direction and means for moving Vthe member -in one directionindependently of the bar.

1 1. In a voting-machine, the combination with the longitudinally-movable universal bar, the latch having the projection thereon,

of the movable member forming a continuay tion of the universal bar and holding the latchlout of engagement with the bar when moved by the bar in one direction and disengaging the latch from the bar 4when moved independently thereof.

12. In a voting-machine, the combination with the longitudinally-'movable universal bar the member engagingthe. end thereof and movable by the bar in one direction only, of the latch for locking the bar having'the projection adapted to extend between the bar and member and provided with the inclined surface adapted to be engaged by themember to release the bar.

13. In a voting-enachine, the combination IIO with the universal bar, the latchcoperatingtherewith, the sliding plate o erable by the bar and cooperating with the atch to'release and hold it out of engagement, of theoperating member for the machine, the `lever engaging said member and operable by the plate to release it.

, 14. In a voting-machine, the combination with the universal bar, the pivoted latch having the inclined pro-j ection and adapted to engage the bar, and the sliding plate with which the bar and latch cooperate, of the operating member, the locking-lever engaging it and operated in one direction by the sliding plate.

15. In a voting-machine,.the combination with ballot-indicators, an operating member,

for the machinerhaving the segment thereon,

tivo 'retaining' devices adapted toengage the segment to lock it in tW`o positions, of means with the ballot-indicating devices for-disengaging'the other retaining device.

16. .in a voting-machine, the combination With ballot-indicating devices, an operating member for the machine, a lock for said member, means connected to the ballot-indicating devices'for releasing said lock and means operable by the voter independently of the ballot-indicating devices for releasing said lock.

'17. In a voting-machine, lthe combination With the ballot-indicating devices, an operatingv member for the machine, vhaving the segmont provided with two-apertures, the ,two locking-levers for engaging said apertures,

means operable by the ballot-indicating devices for releasing one of the levers and means operable from the exterior of the casing for,

releasing the other lever.

' 18. ln a voting-machine, the combination with the ballot-indicators, the resetting-bar therefor and the v.automatically-engaging catchesfor locking the bar, of the operating devices'for the resettingibar adapted When retracted to engage andl release thecatches.

19. In 'a voting-machine, the combination with the ballot-indicators, the-resetting-.bar -b therefor and the automatically-engaging catches betweenv the casing and bar for locking the latter, oft he operating devices for the resettingbar having a movement independent thereof and operating When moved m one direction to release the catches before operating the bar. v 20. In a .voting-machine, the combination With the ballot-indicating devices, the resetting-bar therefor and automaticcatches for holding the bar embodying the slotted links and pins cooperating therewith, of means for operating the resetting-bar, having a movement independent thereof and adapted when retracted to release the catches 'before retractin the bar.-

21. n a voting-machine, the combination With the ballot-indicators, the resetting-bar therefor, thepivoted locking-links having the slots, andthe pins cooperating with the slots,

of theoperating-levers for the bar adapted to engage and release the links before the v.baris retracted 22. In a voting-machine, the combination With the ballot-indicators, the resetting-bar therefor, the links pivoted to thebar having the slots'thei'ein, and thestationary pins in the slots, of means for operating the-bar having a movementindependent thereof and adapted to engage and release the links before the bar is returned.

23. In a voting-machine, the combination With the ballet-indicators, the resetting-bar,

the ivoted catches arranged at the ends of the har adapted to project over the bar to lock it and connections between said'lifnks for causing their simultaneous operation.v

I 24. In a voting-machine, the combination With the ballot-indicators, a resetting-bar therefor, means for operating said bar having' a movement independent thereof, and automatic catches for retaining the bar adapted toibe released by the operating means'after a predetermined movement, of separate catches arranged at opposite, ends of the bar'and operable independently thereof to lock it, connections between them for causing their' simultaneous operationl and means for operating said last-mentioned catches to release the ar. i

25. In af voting-machine, the combination With the ballot-indicators, av plurality of straight-ticket devices for operatinga plurality of said indicators to voted position, a resetting-bar for the indicators, means for operating said ba'i"` having a movement independent thereof and automatic catches for retaining said bar adapted to-be released by the operating means after a predetermined movement, of separate catches to lock the bar arranged at opposite ends' thereof and operable independently thereof, connections between said catches and operating connections between one of said catches and the straight-ticket indicators for causing the release of the resetting-bar.

WVILLIAM' J. LAUSTERER.

l/Vitnesses:

F. F. CHURCH, F. N. HOWARD.. 

